Collapsible garment hanger

ABSTRACT

A garment hanger comprises two pivotable arms, a wire loop counteracting the pivot movement and simultaneously serving as an operating member therefor and a hook secured to the wire loop. In the central portion of each arm there is provided means for locking the arms in the initial position, said locking means being adapted upon manipulation of the wire loop to take a release position, so that further manipulation of the wire loop will involve pivoting of the arms. The locking member comprises one or more slots in one arm and corresponding pins received in said slots secured to the other arm. Each said slot has differently shaped portions, i.e. one circular and one straight portion. One arm has, further, a central pin serving as pivot shaft, said pin being displaceable in a substantially straight central slot in the other arm. A strengthening member for the wire loop serves as a fastening means for the support hook. Each arm comprises a substantially flat portion and one upper edge projecting in opposite directions on the respective arms.

Mohammar 1 Dec. 12,1972

[54] COLLAPSIBLE GARMENT HANGER [72] Inventor: John Markus Mohammar, Violstigen 4, 171 73 Solna, Sweden 22 Filed: 0ci.13,197o

21] Appl. No.: 80,334

[30] Foreign Application Priority Data Primary Examiner-Jordan Franklin Assistant ExaminerGeorge H. Krizmanich Attorney-Fred C. Philpitt [5 7] ABSTRACT A garment hanger comprises two pivotable arms, a wire loop counteracting the pivot movement and simultaneously serving as an operating member therefor and a hook secured to the wire loop. In the central portion of each arm there is provided means for locking the arms in the initial position, said locking means being adapted upon manipulation of the wire loop to take a release position, so that further manipulation of the wire loop will involve pivoting of the arms. The locking member comprises one or more slots in one arm and corresponding pins received in said slots secured to the other arm. Each said slot has differently shaped portions, i.e. one circular and one straight portion. One arm has, further, a central pin serving as pivot shaft, said pin being displaceable in a substantially straight central slot in the other arm. A strengthening member for the wire loop serves as a fastening means for the support hook. Each arm comprises a substantially flat portion and one upper edge projecting in opposite directions on the respective arms.

6 Claims, 2 Drawing Figures COLLAPSIBLE GARMENT HANGER This invention relates to a garment hanger comprising a support means and two arms forming an angle with each other, said arms actuated by an operating member being pivotable relative to each other against action of a spring.

The invention has for its object to accomplish a garment hanger of this kind which permits simple handling for instance when used for supporting a garment having a constricted neck portion such as a polo-shirt or the like and in which the arms are locked in correct position also when the hanger supports a relatively heavy garment.

A garment hanger according to the present invention which fulfils this object is mainly characterized in that the arms in the initial position are locked against pivoting relative to each other, and in that actuation of the operating member accomplish a movement to a release position before or in connection with the start of the mutual pivoting movement of the arms.

Despite the fact that the arms when the hanger is in use take an exactly defined locked position one single manipulation of the operating member will be sufficient for releasing the locking means and pivot the arms towards each other.

Further features and advantages presented by a garment hanger according to the invention will be evident from the following description of a preferred embodiment thereof. The description is being made in connection with the accompanying drawing in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a garment hanger according to the invention whereby dash-dotted lines show alternative positions for the arms, the operating loop and the support hook;

FIG. 2 is a section along the line II-II in FIG. 1 and illustrates a preferred central guiding and locking means for the pivoting movement.

A garment hanger comprises two arms 1, 2 being pivotable around a shaft 3 under the influence of a wire loop 4 which serves as an operating member and simultaneously forms part of a support for the hanger. Thus, a support hook 5 is carried by the wire loop. The arms may be made of a plastic compound and comprise a substantially flat portion 1a and 2a, respectively, and an upper edge lb, 2b which is bent an angle of substantially 90 relatively to the flat portion. The flat portions contact each other and the upper edge projects in one direction on one arm and in the opposite direction on the adjacent arm.

Each end portion of an arm engaging another end portion comprises a thickened part 10, 2c which is provided with a guiding and locking means for the pivotable movement of the arms. Said means is illustrated in FIG. 2. In the second part of the one arm 1 two slots 6, 7 are formed, each said slot having one portion forming a part of a circular ring, and one short straight portion. The two straight portions are aligned with each other and with a pin 3 which serves as a shaft for the pivoting movement. The second part of the other arm has two pins 8 and 9 which, steering the mutual pivoting movement, are movable in each respective slot. Part 2c has also a straight slot 10in which pin 3 is received.

In the initial position of the arms pins 8 and 9 are received in the straight portion of each slot whereby the arms are locked in such a way that it is not possible to move the arms towards each other by imparting a pressure on their outer ends. Actuation of the operating loop 4, however, has the result that the arms, guided by the straight portions of each slot, are mutually displaced whereupon further actuation of the loop will pivot the arms towards each other. The pivotal movement is guided by the circular portions of each slot. The arms are pivoted against stops having a position determined by the length of the slots and defined by the ends thereof. The pivot shaft 3 has a threaded bore 3a for a screw which by means of a washer keeps the arms together. Alternatively the shaft 3 may comprise a rivet in which case the garment hanger is still more simple and comprises few parts.

The support hook 5 is pivotable on a securing member 12 which serves for strengthening the operating loop 4 and accordingly increasing its spring capacity. Member 12 may for instance comprise two plates mountable around the wire loop. As will be evident from FIG. 1 member 12 is pivotable on the wire loop 4 so that the hook 5 may take an inactive position shown in dash-dotted linesin FIG. 1.

As will be evidentfrom the above description the garment hanger according to the invention comprises few parts and is simple to manufacture. In addition the hanger is convenient in use and provides simple handling of the garments, without the risk of any undesired treatment thereof due to collapse of the arms under influence of its weight. The design of the arms which have towards each other directed. flat portions and in opposite direction projecting upper edges will facilitate mounting of the supporting wire loop which in addition serves as the operating member. Actuation of the arms will then involve very small forces on the guiding means and very little friction which facts contribute to the simple design and convenient manipulation of the hanger.

Different modifications of the invention are possible within itsinventive idea as defined in the accompanying claims. The arms may for instance instead of or in addition to the wire loop comprise wire material. Further the guide pins in one arm may cooperate with spring means in the guide slots in the other arm in order to counteract the mutual pivoting movement of the arms.

What I claim is:

1. A garment hanger comprising:

a. two elongated arms, each arm having an inner end,

an outer end, and an intermediate portion extending between said inner and outer ends,

b. the inner ends of said arms being pivotally mounted around a shaft so that said arms can be moved to at least two different angles with respect to each other, said shaft being mounted on the inner end of one of said arms and extending through an elongated opening in the inner end of said other arm, said arrangement permitting both pivotal movement of the arms with respect to each other and limited lateral displacement of the arms from each other without any pivotal movement,

. a supporting member extending upwardly from said arms, said supporting member having a shape that generally resembles an inverted U, said supporting member interconnecting an intermediate portion of one arm to an intermediate portion on another arm, said supporting member being attached to said arms in such a way that it exerts a resilient force which presses the inner ends of said arms together,

d. the inner ends of said arms containing guiding and locking means that comprises 1 two slots on the inner end of one arm member,

each slot consisting of an arcuate portion opening into a straight portion,

2 two pins mounted on the innerend of the other of said arm members, each of said pins being positioned so that it will engage one of said aforementioned slots,

3 the straight portions of said two slots being longitudinally aligned when both have been engaged with pins so that A. when said pins are adjacent the ends of the straight portions of said slots the arms will be locked in a spread apart relationship,

B. when said pins are moved out of the straight portions of said slots and into the curved portions of said slots, said arms are no longer locked in a spread-apart relationship.

2. A garment hanger comprising:

a. two elongated arms, each arm having an inner end,

an outer end, and an intermediate portion extending between said ends, said inner ends each having an elongated opening,

b. the inner ends of said arms being pivotally mounted around a pivot shaft so that said arms can be moved to at least two different angles with respect to each other, said pivot shaft being mounted in the inner end of one arm and being displaceable in the elongated opening of the other arm so as to facilitate the locking and releasing of the arms relative to each other,

c. a wire loop means having legs that interconnect said arms and serving as the support means for the garment hanger,

d. interlocking means carried by the inner ends of said arms for locking said arms in an initial position so that they cannot pivot with respect to each other, said interlocking means being disengageable by the application of sufficient manual pressure to cause said legs of said wire loop means to move relative to each other, said interlocking means comprising a slot in one arm and a pin in the other arm, said pin being received in said slot, said slot having one portion which substantially forms part of a circular ring and one part of which is a substantially straight portion.

3. A garment hanger as set forth in claim 2, wherein said wire loop is provided with a central strengthening member which serves as a fastening means for a support hook.

4. A garment hanger as set forth in claim 3, wherein said strengthening member is rockably mounted on said wire loop so that said support hook is movable between an inoperative position and a position of use.

5. A garment hanger as set forth in claim 2, wherein each arm comprises a substantially flat portion and one laterally projecting upper edge, said flat portions engaging each other, the upper edge of one arm projecting in an opposite direction relative to the upper edge portion of the other arm.

6. A garment hanger as set forth in claim 2, wherein 

1. A garment hanger comprising: a. two elongated arms, each arm having an inner end, an outer end, and an intermediate portion extending between said inner and outer ends, b. the inner ends of said arms being pivotally mounted around a shaft so that said arms can be moved to at least two different angles with respect to each other, said shaft being mounted on the inner end of one of said arms and extending through an elongated opening in the inner end of said other arm, said arrangement permitting both pivotal movement of the arms with respect to each other and limited lateral displacement of the arms from each other without any pivotal movement, c. a supporting member extending upwardly from said arms, said supporting member having a shape that generally resembles an inverted U, said supporting member interconnecting an intermediate portion of one arm to an intermediate portion on another arm, said supporting member being attached to said arms in such a way that it exerts a resilient force which presses the inner ends of said arms together, d. the inner ends of said arms containing guiding and locking means that comprises 1 two slots on the inner end of one arm member, each slot consisting of an arcuate portion opening into a straight portion, 2 two pins mounted on the inner end of the other of said arm members, each of said pins being positioned so that it will engage one of said aforementioned slots, 3 the straight portions of said two slots being longitudinally aligned when both have been engaged with pins so that A. when said pins are adjacent the ends of the straight portions of said slots the arms will be locked in a spread apart relationship, B. when said pins are moved out of the straight portions of said slots and into the curved portions of said slots, said arms are no longer locked in a spread apart relationship.
 2. A garment hanger comprising: a. two elongated arms, each arm having an inner end, an outer end, and an intermediate portion extending between said ends, said inner ends each having an elongated opening, b. the inner ends of said arms being pivotally mounted around a pivot shaft so that said arms can be moved to at least two different angles with respect to each other, said pivot shaft being mounted in the inner end of one arm and being displaceable in the elongated opening of the other arm so as to facilitate the locking and releasing of the arms relative to each other, c. a wire loop means having legs that interconnect said arms and serving as the support means for the garment hanger, d. interlocking means carried by the inner ends of said arms for locking said arms in an initial position so that they cannot pivot with respect to each other, said interlocking means being disengageable by the application of sufficient manual pressure to cause said legs of said wire loop means to move relative to each other, said interlocking means comprising a slot in one arm and a pin in the other arm, said pin being received in said slot, said slot having one portion which substantially forms part of a circular ring and one part of which is a substantially straight portion.
 3. A garment hanger as set forth in claim 2, wherein said wire loop is provided with a central strengthening member which serves as a fastening means for a support hook.
 4. A garment hanger as set forth in claim 3, wherein said strengthening member is rockably mounted on said wire loop so that said support hook is movable between an inoperative position and a position of use.
 5. A garment hanger as set forth in claim 2, wherein each arm comprises a substantially flat portion and one laterally projecting upper edge, said flat portions engaging each other, the upper edge of one arm projecting in an opposite direction relative to the upper edge portion of the other arm.
 6. A garment hanger as set forth in claim 2, wherein the adjacent inner arm ends are thickened relative to the rest of the arms. 